Showing 1-67 of 67 items found in Outdoors & Play

Allerton Park was the private estate of Robert Henry Allerton, who donated it to the University of Illinois in 1946. It features 1,500 acres of woodlands, formal gardens and more than 100 sculptures. The park is open to the public for hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing and leisurely garden strolls.

This zoo overlooking Lake Decatur is home to animals from around the world, the Z.O.&O. Express train, the Endangered Species Carousel and the Zootique Gift Shop. Family events and activities are offered regularly.

Fairview has an activity pool featuring arched water jets, a polar bear slide and a water mushroom. The park also features six lap swim lanes, a deep pool with two thrilling drop slides, multiple diving boards and two sand volleyball courts.

The Railsplitter Covered Wagon, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest covered wagon in the world, is located on the front lawn of the Best Western Lincoln Inn, near historic Route 66. A statue of Abe Lincoln reading a law book sits in the huge wooden wagon, which stands 24 feet tall.

The Palms Grill Cafe was a well-known restaurant during the heyday of Route 66. Recently the cafe was revitalized and reopened, and is serving up delicious nostalgia from the fabled Route 66 era. The Palm’s Grill Café has been baking pies and feeding hungry travelers and residents for decades. Their pies are so delicious they've even won a few state pie competitions. Saddle up to the counter or take a seat at a table; either way, the pie and coffee with the community atmosphere is enough to make any first-timer feel like a regular. Conveniently located right across the street is the towering Bunyon’s Statue, another one of Route 66’s famous Muffler Man Statues.

Serenity envelopes this intimate area, where visitors are welcomed by a Chinese Fu dog and flowering dogwoods, star magnolia, Japanese lilac, and rhododendron -- foliage native to the Orient. Originally commissioned by Guy and Rose Scovill in the 1920's and reconstructed in the 1980's, the gardens' soothing nature encompasses a small reflective point, sod bridge, and oriental sculptures, and surrounds a small cottage, which is available for gatherings and retreats.

The Genevieve Green Gardens offer a relaxing setting for contemplation and the appreciation of nature's beauty. Small gardens are tucked in at various locations; there is also a formal compass garden with a beautiful arbor, a Japanese garden, and a main plaza that is highlighted by a water feature. Walkways, accompanied by tasteful signage, conveniently guide visitors around the property and are in harmony with the landscape's topography. Carefully designed lighting makes it possible to enjoy the gardens during evening hours.

This small park is right on Route 66, and it's a great place to check out the town of Atlanta. It is a great park, including flat area to run and playground for the kids to climb and run on, you and your family are sure to enjoy.

Weldon Springs State Recreation Area is a 550-acre state park located near Clinton, Illinois. It centers on Salt Creek and the impoundment of a tributary, Weldon Springs, to form Weldon Spring Lake, a reservoir.

Created in 1927 from an old sand pit across the road from Lake Decatur, the city's oldest garden was extensively renovated in 1992. Its resurrected look features secluded paths leading through rocky terraces planted with unusual trees, and landscapes brimming with colorful perennials. Towering bald Cypress trees, planted in the 1920s, still reign over these delightful grounds.

No trip to Scovill Zoo would be complete without a visit to Project Playground II, a community-built, ADA-accessible playground in Scovill Park. This exciting play place includes a rock wall with fossils, hands-on music station, lots of slides, and a smooth rubber surface so kids of all ability levels can swing, slide, climb and play.

Rock Springs Center is the largest park in the Macon County Conservation District properties with a total of 1,343 acres in the southwest area of Decatur, IL. The Sangamon River runs through Rock Springs and several small ponds dot the landscape. A wide range of terrain including forest, wetland, grassland, and restored Illinois prairie make Rock Springs a destination for nature lovers. Rock Springs is also home to a large nature center, a museum, a restored farmhouse, nearly nine miles of hiking trails, and a paved bike trail. Rock Springs is a favorite for families all year round. Rooms and pavilions are available for rent for meetings and events.

The Constitution Trail is a 36.4 mile asphalt and crushed stone trail of moderate difficulty. It begins at Atwood Wayside trailhead in Bloomington. Lined with trees where a variety of birds call home, you'll also find a fishing pond as well as an expanse of native prairie grassland.

Kickapoo State Recreation Area in Oakwood, IL has 22 deep-water ponds, ranging in size from 0.2 to 57 acres, providing a total of 221 acres of water for boaters, canoeists and anglers. Lushly forested uplands and bottomlands along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is habitat for enough birds, wildlife and wildflowers to please any nature lover, while nature trails and running trails provide pathways to inspiration and physical fitness. If you want a less demanding excursion in the outdoors, there are facilities for camping and picnicking. With 22 lakes and access to the Middle Fork River, Kickapoo is known for the opportunities it provides for water-based outdoor activities. Anglers find excellent fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie and redear sunfish. Especially popular are the annual fall and spring stockings of rainbow trout, which provide an unusual opportunity for central Illinois anglers to fish for catch-able size trout. There are 12 launching ramps on nine of Kickapoo's lakes. Boat and canoe rental is available for Clear Pond.

Upper Limits has more than 20,000 square feet of climbing, including routes up to 110 feet tall. Other features include a wave-wall, bi-level cave, and a unique outdoor bouldering area. Upper Limits accommodates all ages and skill levels, offering introductory and advanced classes, parties, group rates, scout programs, and team building exercises. Come visit Upper Limits, one of the largest and tallest gyms in the world!

The Bowling and Billiard Center (BBC) is located north of the ISU Quad, next to the Bone Student Center, and Milner Library. The BBC provides entertainment for students, faculty/staff, & the general public including: bowling, billiards, video games, etc.

Located on the wind-swept Bloomington Moraine in eastern McLean County, Twin Groves Wind Farm offers 396 megawatts of affordable, pollution-free wind energy, enough to meet the annual energy needs of about 118,000 homes. Learn more about this exciting new facility with a farm tour.

Fun for the whole family! Zero depth activity pool, six lap swim lanes, separate pool for drop slides and diving boards, as well as a sand/water play area for children and two competition sand volleyball courts.

Ice skating available during fall/winter months. Call ahead for exact dates. Admission to the ice arena is $6 and skate rentals are $2. During the spring/summer months, the arena is used as venue for shows and fairs.

Looking for late night or weekend bowling fun? Take your game to an unexplored new level with Xtreme Bowling – an adventure of lights, great music, wild bowling challenges, and (of course) your favorite food & beverages.

The origins and growth of the Decatur Gun Club parallel that of the clay target itself, and the games created to hone and test shotgun shooting skill. Shotgun sport shooting with live pigeons and later, glass balls existed in the U.S. from the early 1800's. But the first "clay pigeon" and "trap" to throw it were not developed until about 1880 by George Ligowsky. William Brett From Decatur was the second manufacturer of clay targets in the U.S., which he called the "Decatur Red Bird". Considered the oldest shotgun shooting sports club in Illinois, the Decatur Gun Club was founded soon after clay targets were invented. Chan Powers and Bert Hildebrandt were two of the mentors of the club, first located near East William Street Road and 22nd Street. In the early years, the club occupied sites in the Hess Park area, the Wyckles Corner area, the Macon County Fairgrounds, and an area west of the Fairgrounds before finding it's home of the past 61 years at the north end of Faries Park.

Designed by legendary hall of fame player, Raymond Floyd, this signature course features large, undulating greens, wide rolling fairways and native grasses. Located on Decatur's south side, the Park District's newest course is designed for players of all skill levels. From five tee locations and multiple angels, this signature Floyd course is truly designed for the championship to the novice golfer. Red Tail provides multiple tee locations from Championship to Junior, driving range with double tees, golf academy programming, and first tee learning center.

18 miles north of Decatur on Route 48 near Argenta. The park feature three nature trails - the quarter-mile Friends Creek Trail, the 2-mile Woodland Trail, and the 2.5-mile Sun Trail. Each varies in difficulty and meanders through topographies ranging from open meadows and floodplains, to towering oak-hickory forests and undulating hillsides.

Sometimes called the "shot-maker's" course, Scovill Golf Club is hilly and tree-lined. Golfers will enjoy the manicured fairways surrounded by natural plantings on Decatur's only Audubon sanctioned course. Scovill was designed by Tom Bendelow and redesigned by Dick Nugent. Scovill was named on one of the top 100 women-friendly course in the United States by Golf for Women. It is also the course most frequented by out-of-town golfers.

The bikeway connects three area parks with a 3.2-mile, 10-foot wide, handicapped accessible trail for enjoyment by hikers and bikers alike. Tote along your favorite fixings to enjoy on the trail or designated picnic areas.

Hickory Point is truly a course for both beginning and competitive golfers. The flat, wide fairways are perfect for learning, while long distances and the ever-present wind provide challenge for more experienced golfers. Hickory Point hosts the Tat $ Lyle Players Championship, the developmental tour of the LPGA. Designed by Roger Packard, the course opened in 1999, and is designed specifically for beginning and youth golfers. Hickory Point features a lighted driving range and special six-hole short course for beginning and youth golfers.

Little Galilee's 228 acres of land provide lots of room for kids to eat, sleep, learn, play and pray with dedicated Christian adults. There are a variety of camps and programs that for youth and adults which may include: Fine Arts or Sports camp, Equestrian Camp, Family Camp, Main Camp, Day Camp, Wilderness Camp and many more.

Sand Creek is a 755-acre open space site located just south of Decatur off South Franklin Street. Hike the trails to the bluff overlooking Sand Creek for panoramic view of the countryside. Over 7.5 total miles with varying difficulty. Open to hikers & horseback riders.

Located along Sugar Creek, about five miles north of Lincoln, Creekside the Outdoor Center for Environmental Education will be an experiential outdoor classroom featuring an outdoor teaching pavilion, insectarium, greenhouse, and a restored prairie. It will include parking space, bioswales, rain gardens, and boardwalks and sidewalks to make the site handicapped-accessible. When complete it will be powered by solar panels and a wind generator.